A significant MAG-5.6 earthquake struck in the Solomon Sea 143 kilometer from Arawa, Papua New Guinea in the early afternoon of Sunday February 23rd, 2025. Roughly 330 thousand people may have felt this earthquake.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Solomon Sea, 69 kilometers (43 mi) off the coast of Papua New Guinea, 143 kilometer south-southeast of Arawa in Bougainville. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 59 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Feb 23, 2025 12:31 (Bougainville Time) - Feb 23, 2025 01:31 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 143 km SSE of Arawa, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 7°29'3"S 155°51'46"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.6 Detected by 26 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.061 . |
| Depth: | 59 km (37 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | V
Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Minimal impact predicted
Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.
The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.
Roughly 330 thousand people exposed to shaking
This earthquake may have been felt by around 330 thousand people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.
Light shaking and likely no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 43,900 people. At IV, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 280 thousand). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.
People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. Roughly 210 thousand people were exposed to shaking in Papua New Guinea , with level IV (light shaking, likely no damage) as the highest recorded. In Solomon Islands , around 120 thousand people.
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 6,300 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 278,100 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 43,900 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 0 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
| 0 | VI |
Strong | Light |
| 0 | VII |
Very Strong | Moderate |
| 0 | VIII |
Severe | Moderate to heavy |
| 0 | IX |
Violent | Heavy |
| 0 | X |
Extreme | Very heavy |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Papua New Guinea . Located 143 kilometer (89 mi) south-southeast of the epicenter of this earthquake, Arawa (Bougainville, Papua New Guinea) is the nearest significant population center. Arawa experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly III. That level implies weak shaking and probably no damage.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 143 km (89 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Arawa Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. |
III
Weak |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is IV.
4 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 4 smaller aftershocks were detected. At a distance of 15 km (9 mi) north-northeast of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 3 hrs later. It measured a magnitude of 5.4
Before this earthquake struck, 3 smaller foreshocks occurred. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 3 hrs earlier. It measured a magnitude of 5.3
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.8 |
5 hrs earlier Feb 23, 2025 07:39 (Bougainville Time) | 50 km (31 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.5 |
5 hrs earlier Feb 23, 2025 07:39 (Bougainville Time) | 50 km (31 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 5.3 |
3 hrs earlier Feb 23, 2025 09:21 (Bougainville Time) | 12 km (7 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.6 |
Feb 23, 2025 12:31 (Bougainville Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.5 |
8 mins later Feb 23, 2025 12:40 (Bougainville Time) | 61 km (38 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.5 |
8 mins later Feb 23, 2025 12:40 (Bougainville Time) | 61 km (38 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.1 |
15 mins later Feb 23, 2025 12:46 (Bougainville Time) | 15 km (9 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.4 |
3 hrs later Feb 23, 2025 15:17 (Bougainville Time) | 15 km (9 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since September 1st, 2024, when a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit 82 km (51 mi) further north-northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck on January 22nd, 2017.
In total, 20 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.6 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 6 months.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.6. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 59 km (37 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 13/03/25 03:18 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000pfjc
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250223_0000010
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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